Ball speed controlling device



M. G. GAUTRAUD Erm. 3,018,104 BALL SPEED CONTROLLING DEVICE Filed Oct. 19, 1959 Jan. 23, 1962 nitd States Patent thee 25,913,104 Patented dan. 23, 1962 3,018,104 BALL SPEED CUNTRLMNG DEVHCE Michael G. Gautrauti, North Massapequa, and William E'. Huck, Forest Hills, NX., assignors to Brunswick Automatic linsetter Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Fiied @en 19, 1959. Ser. No. 847,258 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-49) This invention relates to a ball speed controlling device and more particularly to a device adjacent a bowling alley pit for accelerating the speed of a bowling ball preparatory to return thereof to a players end of a bowling alley.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved device for controlling the speed of a bowling ball.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for changing the speed of a bowling ball in the shortest distance possible in a manner which is substantially noise and vibration free.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball accelerating device having a ball track and a belt travelling therealong in spaced apart relation whereby a ball may pass between and in which the tracks are shaped to enable a rapid build up in the angular velocity of a ball to a point substantially equal to the relatively high linear speed of the belt and this angular velocity of the ball is then converted to an increased linear ball velocity for rapid return of a ball to the players end of the alley.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball accelerating device for increasing a bowling ball speed for return to a players end of a bowling alley comprising, a ball track having a pair of track members, a ball accelerating belt overlying said track, means for driving said belt at a relatively high linear speed, said track having a first section convexly curved and more particularly with a modified cycloidal curve toward said belt to increase the angle of contact between the belt and the ball to more effectively bring the ball peripheral velocity to the belt velocity and impart cycloidal motion to the ball, and a second concavely curved track section extending from said first track section near the ball exit end of the device to reduce a slipping tendency of the ball as the ball leaves the belt, said concavely curved section taking advantage of the centrifugal effect of the ball motion to increase the contact force between the ball and tracks, said track members being spaced apart a distance for supporting a ball for rolling movement on small circles in the iirst part of said iirst section whereby the ball angular velocity is substantially increased by the belt and said track members gradually extend more closely together to a lesser distance apart in the second part of the iirst section and in said second section whereby the angular ball velocity is substantially converted to linear ball velocity for fast return of a ball to the players end of the alley.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of the ball accelerating device supported on a base such as a bowling alley floor;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the structure shown in FlG. 1 with parts broken away;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1 and looking toward the entry end of the device;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 4-4 in FIG. l showing the spacing ofthe ball track members; and

FIG. 5 is a vertical section taken generally along the line 5-5 in FIG. l showing a different spacing of the ball track members.

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail an embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplication of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. 'Ihe scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings, the ball speed controlling device comprises a ball track having a pair of spaced apart rails in the form of track members 10 and 11 which as shown are of rod material. A travelling endless belt 12 travels about an idler pulley 13 and a drive pulley 14 at a relatively high rate of speed. The pulleys 13 and 14 are supported in a frame 15 having side rails 16 and 17 and more specifically are supported for rotation on shafts 18 and 19 extending between the side rails 16 and 17.

The pulleys 13 and 14 are constructed of a large diameter and with wide, heavy flanges to build flywheel energy into this device which prevents this device from slowing down upon entry of a ball, thereby precluding a much smaller exiting ball speed than desired.

The frame 15 supports a motor 20 having a drive pulley 21 which drives a belt 22 running about a driven pulley 23 secured to the drive pulley 14. A suitable mechanism, indicated generally at 25, is provided for placing the desired tension on the ball engaging belt 12 while permitting give therein when a ball is in the device as shown in FIG. l.

The frame 15 is supported on a base 26 such as a bowling alley floor by suitable frame members 27 and 28 located in pairs at each side of the frame.

The ball track composed of the track members 10 and 11 has several distinctive features and for ease in description reference letters are applied with the reference letter a indicating the ball entry end of the device and the reference letter b indicating the exit end of the device. A reference letter c indicates the location on the ball track closest to the ball accelerating belt 12 while the letter d indicates the location of an important change in the track configuration. Additional important locations are indicated by letters e, k and m as well as a letter l locating a point of inection in the ball track near the exit of this device.

The ball track is initially concavely curved toward the accelerating belt 12 from the entry point a to the point m shortly beyond this entry point, and thereafter is convexly curved toward the accelerating belt 12 from the point m to the inflection point l. This causes a ball 40 to have a wide angle of contact with the belt 12.

From the point of inflection l to the exit end b of the device the ball track is concavely curved. This is to take advantage of the centrifugal effect of the ball due to the speed thereof and thereby prevent probable slippage of the ball on the track members 1i) and 11 due to the very small angle of contact between the ball and the belt 12 existing at the time the ball is leaving engagement with the belt.

Both the convex and concavely curved sections are formed as modied cycloidal curves which impart cycloidal motion to a ball and when taken with other features of the track construction provide new and irnproved results in the acceleration o-f a bowling ball.

As will be noted the ball track members 1l) and 11 are spaced the greatest distance apart in the section of the ball track extending between points e and cand as shown in FIG. 4. This results in having the ball supported for rolling along small circles x as shown in broken line in FIG. 4 whereby the belt 12 travellingl at a relatively high linear speed may impart a substantial angular velocity to the ball in a relatively short length of track. In order for the device to receive a ball at a satisfactory rate of speed the track members I@ and 11 at the point a are spaced more closely together than between e and c and the distance between is increased between the points d and e by a curve in each of the track members.

`In order to convert the angular or peripheral velocity of a `ball di) to ahigher linear velocity, the track members and 11 gradually converge toward each other between the points c and k to have the ball roll on the tracks beyond the point k on much larger circles y as shown in broken line in FIG. 5. This change in track distance converts a substantial part of the ball angular velocity into increased linear velocity whereby the ball discharges at a high rate of speed toward the players end of the alley.

In actual operation, a ball 40 reaches an angular velocity substantially equal to the linear ve-locity of the belt 121 approximately at the point c and from that point on to the exit end b of the accelerating device, this angular velocity is to a large extent converted to linear velocity. A comparison of the rolling circles referred to4 in connection with the ball is shown in dotted line in FIGS. 4 and 5 and the substantial difference therein may be readily noted.

The curved lengths of track members 1t) and lll between points a and e and c and k for varying the distance between the track members as well as the previously referred to convex and concave curvature of the track members are all modified cycloidal curves and give cycloidal motion to the bowling ball 40. The resulting acceleration is harmonic which is a very desirable characteristic at a high operating speed such as contemplated for the device disclosed herein. There are no finite instantaneous variations in harmonic acceleration which thereby eliminates the ball instability, the heavy vibration and resulting objectionable noise which might otherwise be encountered during the ball acceleration operation. A cycloidal curve may be defined as a curve generated from a cycloid with a cycloid being the locus of a point on a circle which is rolled on a straight line. i

In one example, with a ball entering the accelerating device at a speed of approximately 3 ft./ sec. and with the accelerating belt 12 traveling at a speed of 70 ft./sec. the ball will be given an angular velocity at location c corresponding to this peripheral belt velocity which in turn, would be equivalent to a linear ball velocity of approximately 25 ft./`sec. As the ball passes to the exit end of the accelerating device the linear speed of the ball is increased to 30 feet per second andvthis is accomplished with a total track length of under 6 feet.

f The same principles embodied in the construction disclosedherein may be utilized for a ball decelerating device in which the bowling ball @tl would travel from the right to the left looking at FIG. 1 and the belt I2 would travel in a direction reverse from that shown and at a lesser speed.

We claim:

1. A ball speed controlling device for altering the speed of a bowling ball between entrance and exit ends thereof, comprising, a generally horizontally disposed ball track having a pair of laterally spaced ball supporting rails, an endless belt over the track, a pair of horizontally spaced pulleys supporting the belt with one pulley adjacent a ball entry end of the track and the other adjacent a ball exit end of the track and each spaced from the track to provide a generally horizontal belt reach therebetween to engage `a ball on the track vfrom end to end, means for driving at least one pulley to advance the ball engaging reach of the belt in the direction of ball travel, said track including an elevated midportion continuously convexly curved ytoward the belt to carry a ball into firm engagement with the belt and increase the angle of contact therebetween and said track including opposite continuously concavely curved end portions joined respectively to opposite ends of the convex portion and disposed respectively adjacent the pulleys, said track rails having a predetermined lateral spacing therebetween adjacent the top of said convex midportion and gradually reducing lateral spacing therefrom toward the track end of greater ball speed so that a ball on the track tends `to have a relatively great angular velocity with minimum linear advance at the midportion, and a relatively greater linear advance at the track end of greatest ball speed.

2. A ball speed accelerating device for increasing the speed of a bowling ball between entrance and exit ends thereof, comprising, a generally horizontally disposed ball track having a pair of laterally spaced ball supporting rails, an endless belt over the track, a pair of horizontally spaced pulleys supporting' the belt with one pulley adjacent a ball entry end of the track and the other adjacent a ball exit end of the'track and each spaced from the' track to provide a generally horizontal belt reach therebetween to engage a ball on the track from end to end, means for driving at least one pulley to advance the ball engaging reach of the belt in the direction of ball travel, said track including an elevated midportion continuously convexly curved toward the belt to carry a ball into firm engagement with the belt and increase the angle of contact therebetween and said track including opposite continuously concavely curved end portions joined respectively to opposite ends of the convex portion and disposed respectively adjacent the pulleys, said track rails having a predetermined late'ral spacing therebetween adjacent the top of said convex midportion and being gradually curved concavely toward each other toward the exit end of the track in the range of said convexly curved track midportion and then smoothly convexly curved toward each other in the range of said concavely curved track exit end portion so that a ball on the track tends to have a relatively great angular velocity with minimum linear advance at the midportion, and a relatively greater linear advance at the exit end of the track.

3. A ball speed accelerating device for increasing the speed of a bowling ball between entrance and exit ends thereof, comprising, a generally horizontally disposed ball track having a pair of laterally spaced ball supporting rails, an endless belt over the track, a pair of horizontally spaced pulleys supporting the belt with one pulley adjacent a ball entry end of the track and the other adjacent `a ball exit end of the track and each spaced from the track to provide a generally horizontal belt reach therebetween to engage a ball on the track from end to end, means for driving at least one pulley to advance the ball engaging reach of the belt in the direction of ball travel, said track being curved in a modied cycloidal manner and including an elevated midportion continuously convexly curved toward the belt to carry a ball into iirm engagement with the belt and increase the angle of contact therebetween and said track including opposite continuously concavely curved end portions joined respectively to opposite ends of the convex portion and disposed respectively adjacent the pulleys, said track rails having a predetermined lateral spacing therebetween adjacent the top of said convex midportion, a lesser lateral spacing at each end of the track and, between the place of relatively wide spacing and each end, being curved in a modified cycloidal manner first concavely toward each other in the range of the convex track portion and then convexly toward each other in the range of the concave track portion.

Strong July 9, 1940 Barry Mar. 13, 1951 

